“For I have not held back from announcing to you the whole purpose of God.” (Acts 20:27) This verse states the apostolic ministry of Paul. Note that just prior to this verse he records his motivation, and just after this passage he records a warning.

One of the cliché terms in Christendom is the labeling of some churches as “full gospel”. Usually, from my limited perspective, the interpretation of that term has been that “full gospel” churches are very charismatic and believe in the gifts of the Holy Spirit as listed in 1 Corinthians 12.

First of all, as 1 Peter 4:10 states, all believers are “charisma” or charismatic because “each one has received a gift” from God for use in ministry “to one another”. Secondly, I believe that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are for today, because the Bible says that they are. There are those who do not believe they are charismatic, but they actually possess the gift of teaching, or administrations, or helps. There are those who do not believe “fundamentalists” can be charismatic unless they speak in tongues. Do all speak in tongues? No.

My desire is not to be merely a “full gospel” Christian. I want to be a whole counsel, all Scripture Christian. The whole Bible can be used for doctrine, and in order to do so it must be rightly divided. It is so easy to fall into doctrinal ruts. It’s even easier to personally “package” favorite passages of Scripture and make them the whole counsel of God.

As I journey through the Bible, each page opens a door of truth that fills my soul with an awe of God. I’ve discovered something too in my studies: God is dependable, yet unpredictable. God does move on our behalf, but His ways vary and His methods are often unable to chart.

My encouragement to you, reader, is to prayerfully and regularly read the entire Bible from cover to cover, line upon line, book by book. As you study the Old Testament you will better understand the New Testament. God will give you both warnings and comfort as you spend time with Him. The 119th Psalm reveals the joy that is found in Bible study.

You may be reading this and thinking to yourself that you cannot understand the Bible. If you are a Christian, consider God’s exhortation, His anointing upon you, His teacher, and above all, His two-fold purpose for study found in John 5:39 and 16:14: to reveal and glorify Jesus to you and through you.

Too many people in the body of Christ “major” on certain themes and make that theme – whether it be the second coming, evangelism, healing, prayer, etc. – the whole counsel of God. These are all parts of the Gospel, but not the whole Gospel. How many words of God did Jesus say we should live by in Luke 4:4? “Every Word of God.” You mean books like Obadiah? Leviticus? Nahum? Yes. There are principles, types, etc., in every book. As God explained in Hosea 12:10: “I have also spoken by the prophets, and have multiplied visions; I have given symbols through the witness of the prophets.”

You’ll discover how fresh the Scriptures are. You’ll discover that the God of your salvation is the God of Providence, whose ways cannot be franchised nor put into a “theology box” by any denomination. He is in absolute control, even when my life seems out of control. “We walk by faith, not by sight.”

Beloved, don’t take the Bible for granted. Read it to renew your mind and with a desire to be a doer. The whole counsel is what we are told to teach. Anything less than this is not “full gospel”, and never be naïve enough to be told that it is. There are seasons of life, and the value of a consistent, spiritually-balanced diet of reading and doing is the promise of withstanding life’s storms instead of crumbling.

The Bible doesn’t teach “heaven on earth”. God’s perfect will isn’t always a picnic, although it can be a continual triumph. Eat well, eat often; meditate on all Scripture. You’ll find that you can be both prosperous and poor at the same time.

Yes reader, “Every word of God is pure.” Hide His word in your heart. It will cleanse you and prepare you for His service. We are twice-born for His pleasure.

The Holy Bible, cover to cover, reveals timeless principles and God’s eternal purpose of redemption through Jesus Christ.